System and method for supporting inter subnet partitions in a high performance computing environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11394645-B2
Application number	US-202016887324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	Jan 27, 2016
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for supporting inter subnet partitions in a high performance computing environment. In accordance with an embodiment, a fabric manager can define a range of P_Key values, among a plurality of P_Key values, as a inter subnet partition (ISP) P_Key range. The fabric manager can communicate this defined range of P_Key values to a number of subnets, via their subnet managers. The subnet managers in each subnet retain management over their subnets. As there is no central management that configures each side of inter subnet communication, subnet managers on within participating subnets can set up ISP membership, and then exchange information with the other subnet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for supporting inter subnet partitions in a high performance computing environment, comprising:
one or more computers, each comprising one or more microprocessors;
a first subnet, the first subnet being provided at the one or more computers, the first subnet comprising
a plurality of switches,
a subnet manager, and
an inter subnet manager; and

a fabric manager, the fabric manager residing in the high performance computing environment;
wherein the fabric manager defines a range of partition key (P_Key) values of a plurality of partition key values, the defined range of partition key values comprising an Inter Subnet Partition (ISP) P_Key range;
wherein the fabric manager communicates to the subnet manager the ISP P_Key range;
wherein the first subnet is connected to a second subnet; and
wherein data traffic between the first subnet and the second subnet is restricted to data packets comprising a P_Key within the ISP P_Key range.

2. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein a switch port of the first subnet is configured as a router port of the first subnet.

3. The system of claim 2 ,
wherein a first P_Key within the ISP P_Key range is assigned to the router port of the first subnet; the first P_Key having a first value.

4. The system of claim 3 ,
wherein the value of the first P_Key is communicated to the connected second subnet by the inter subnet manager.

5. The system of claim 4 ,
wherein the inter subnet manager receives, from the second subnet, a value of a second P_Key within the ISP P_Key range, the second P_Key being assigned to a router port of the second subnet.

6. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the second subnet comprises:
a plurality of switches of the second subnet,
a subnet manager of the second subnet, and
an inter subnet manager of the second subnet;

wherein a switch port on a switch of the plurality of switches of the second subnet is configured as the router port of the second subnet.

7. The system of claim 6 ,
wherein the inter subnet manager of the second subnet manager communicates the value of the second P_Key within the ISP range to the inter subnet manager.

8. A method for supporting inter subnet partitions in a high performance computing environment, comprising:
providing, at one or more computers, each including one or more microprocessors, a first subnet, the first subnet being provided at the one or more computers, the first subnet comprising
a plurality of switches,
a subnet manager, and
an inter subnet manager;

providing a fabric manager, the fabric manager residing in the high performance computing environment;
defining, by the fabric manager, a range of partition key (P_Key) values of a plurality of partition key values, the defined range of partition key values comprising an Inter Subnet Partition (ISP) P_Key range;
communicating, by the fabric manager, to the subnet manager the ISP P_Key range;
connecting the first subnet to a second subnet; and
restricting data traffic between the first subnet and the second subnet to data packets comprising a P_Key within the ISP P_Key range.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
configuring a switch port of the first subnet as a router port of the first subnet.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
assigning a first P_Key within the ISP P_Key range to the router port of the first subnet; the first P_Key having a first value.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
communicating the value of the first P_Key to the connected second subnet by the inter subnet manager.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, by the inter subnet manager, from the second subnet, a value of a second P_Key within the ISP P_Key range, the second P_Key being assigned to a router port of the second subnet.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the second subnet comprises:
a plurality of switches of the second subnet,
a subnet manager of the second subnet, and
an inter subnet manager of the second subnet;

wherein a switch port on a switch of the plurality of switches of the second subnet is configured as the router port of the second subnet.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
communicating by the inter subnet manager of the second subnet manager, the value of the second P_Key within the ISP range to the inter subnet manager.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon for supporting inter subnet partitions in a high performance computing environment, which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform steps comprising:
providing, at one or more computers, each including one or more microprocessors, a first subnet, the first subnet being provided at the one or more computers, the first subnet comprising
a plurality of switches,
a subnet manager, and
an inter subnet manager;

providing a fabric manager, the fabric manager residing in the high performance computing environment;
defining, by the fabric manager, a range of partition key (P_Key) values of a plurality of partition key values, the defined range of partition key values comprising an Inter Subnet Partition (ISP) P_Key range;
communicating, by the fabric manager, to the subnet manager the ISP P_Key range;
connecting the first subnet to a second subnet; and
restricting data traffic between the first subnet and the second subnet to data packets comprising a P_Key within the ISP P_Key range.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , the steps further comprising:
configuring a switch port of the first subnet as a router port of the first subnet.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , the steps further comprising:
assigning a first P_Key within the ISP P_Key range to the router port of the first subnet; the first P_Key having a first value.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , the steps further comprising:
communicating the value of the first P_Key to the connected second subnet by the inter subnet manager.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , the steps further comprising:
receiving, by the inter subnet manager, from the second subnet, a value of a second P_Key within the ISP P_Key range, the second P_Key being assigned to a router port of the second subnet;
wherein the second subnet comprises:
a plurality of switches of the second subnet,
a subnet manager of the second subnet, and
an inter subnet manager of the second subnet;

wherein a switch port on a switch of the plurality of switches of the second subnet is configured as the router port of the second subnet.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , the steps further comprising:
communicating by the inter subnet manager of the second subnet manager, the value of the second P_Key within the ISP range to the inter subnet manager.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Johnsen Bjørn Dag
• Bogdanski Bartosz
• Holen Line

Classifications

• H04L45/02

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L45/484

  using multiple routing trees · CPC title

• H04L41/122

  of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] · CPC title

• H04L41/0897

  by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities · CPC title